Italian court says Knox murder acquittal had inconsistencies

June 18, 2013|Reuters

* U.S. student convicted then acquitted of Briton's murder

* Top court has ordered retrial of Knox and ex-boyfriend

* Says judges had underestimated evidence against them

ROME, June 18 (Reuters) - Italy's top court said on Tuesdayit had ordered a re-run of the Meredith Kercher murder trialbecause the acquittal of American Amanda Knox and herex-boyfriend contained "shortcomings, contradictions andinconsistencies".

Knox and Italian Raffaele Sollecito were initially foundguilty of killing the 21-year-old Leeds University student in2007 during a drug-fuelled sexual assault, but both were clearedon appeal in 2011.

In March this year, Italy's top appeals court overturnedthat acquittal and ordered a retrial.

Explaining its reasons on Tuesday, the Court of Cassationsaid the judges in the appeals case had underestimated theevidence against the two accused, assessing clues one by one andnot stepping back to view the big picture.

The one person still in jail for the murder, IvoryCoast-born Rudy Guede who is serving a 16-year sentence, may nothave committed the crime alone, and the possibility that Kercherwas killed during a group sex game would need to be re-examined,the Court of Cassation said.

Knox, now 25 and living back in the United States after fouryears in an Italian jail, has consistently denied involvement inher room-mate's death.

Sollecito's lawyer, Giulio Bongiorno, said: "If there was anerotic game then there needs to be a search for the other peopleinvolved, who are certainly not Raffaele Sollecito and AmandaKnox," news agency Ansa reported.

Kercher's body was found with more than 40 wounds, includinga deep gash in the throat, in the apartment she shared with Knoxin Perugia, central Italy, where both were studying during ayear abroad.

Kercher's lawyers, who have described the acquittal as"contradictory and illogical", have welcomed the plan for aretrial.